Reversing clutch construction



June 11, 1946. w. c. STARKEY REVERSI I IG CLUTCH CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Nov. 4. 1939 INVENTOR. J/ h,

ORNEY5 with the invention.

- two pinions.

Reiuued June 11, 1946 REVERSING CLUTCH CONSTRUCTION *William Carleton Starkey, Indianapolis, 11111., as-

. signor, by mesne assignments, to Fletcher Trust Company, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana, as trustee Original No. 2,235,266, dated March 1a, 1941, Se-" rial No. 302,821, November 4,1939. Application for reissue March 13, 1946, Serial No. 654,125

This invention relates to areversing clutch construction and more particularly to that type of reversing mechanism in which a clutching action is secured by expanding or contracting a helicaliy coiled spring into clutching engagement with a mating clutch surface, the frictional action of which tends to increase the tendency to expand or contract and thus increases the frictionai force available for transmission of power.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple, reliable construction of this type which may be housed in a relatively small space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which may be adapted for transmission of power in either direction with very small change in construction; 1

Another object of the invention is generally to improve reversing constructions of this .type.',

Other objects and features of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims: I

Fig. 1 is a central sectional view through a-reversing clutchconstruction built in accordance Fig. 2 is a plan view of certain of the elements thereof with other parts removed.

Fig. 3 is a similar view with parts arranged for a reversal'of function between the driving and driven elements.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line l--l of Fig. 1. J

In the preferred form of the invention shown in the drawing by way of illustration, there are provided a pair-of shafts Ill and II, either of which may be considered a drive shaft and the other a driven shaft. The shaft II has freely mounted thereon a pair'of bushings i2 .and I3 carrying bevel pinions i4 and l5, respectively. Preferably the bushings arepressed into the pinions and rotate therewith. The gears I4 and I5 may be restrained against axial movement by suitable thrust collars or bearings not shown in the drawing. A bevel gear it is secured to the shaft Ill and engages the plnions It and i5. When shaft it is the drive shaft, the pinions are obviously rotated in opposite directions. When shaft III is the driven shaft, it may be driven in opposite directions by similar rotations of the A clutch member I1 is secured to the shaft H by a key I I and its outer ends are provided with spring pockets having internal clutch surfaces l9 and 22 concentric with shaft A pair of helical clutch springs 2| and 22 are seated in the spring pockets and are provided with. external clutch 6 Claims. (Cl. 192-51) surface adapted to mate respectively with the clutch surfaces i9 and 20 but are normally slightly spaced therefrom. .The springs 2| and 22 are provided with outwardlyextending toes 23 and 24 engaged in suitable recesses in the pinions H and' I5, respectively.

By this means each of said springs is anchored to one of said pinions in such manner that it may transmit torque either to or from the same.

An actuator key 25 is slidably mounted in a suitable keyway in the clutch member l1 and is' secured, as by a rivet 28, to -a clutch collar 2'! siidably mounted on the external surface of the clutch member ii. The .rivet 26 operates in a suitable slotted opening 28 in the clutch member 21 and is surrounded by a spacer bushing 29 adapted to hold the collar 21 and key 25 in proper spaced relation.

When the shaft lli'is to beiu'sed as the drive shaft and shaft i as the driven shaft, the springs 2| and 22 are similarly wound as shown in Fig. 2.

In this figure it is assumed that the direction of rotation of shaft ||i is such as to. rotate the springs in the direction of the arrows in that figure. If the rotation of shaft III is to be in the opposite direction, the two springs will both be wound in theopposite direction but will still be similarly wound with respect to each other. With this type of construction and with the mechanism in the neutral position-shown in the drawing, the springs 2| and 22 rotate freely in opposite directions within their respective spring pockets. Shaft II and clutch member are stationary. When it is desired to drive shaft H in the direction of rotation of gear II, the collar 21 is shifted to the right by any suitable form of shifting fork. The key 25 then engage the free end 30 of the rotating spring 2| and the force exerted on said spring by said engagement expands the same into engagement with the inner face |9 of the spring pocket. The frictional force exerted by the surface of said spring pocket tends still further to expand the spring and to clutch the same securely to the clutch member 11.

When it is desired that shaft ll be the drive without departing from the scope is to be the opposite, the two springs HI and I22 are wound in the opposite directions from those shown in the drawing. In the operation of this construction, the gears I4 and I5 and the two springs remain stationary when the parts are in The shaft ll, clutch member l1 and key 25- rotate in the the neutral position shown in Fig. 1.

direction of the arrow. When it is desired to run shaft l in one direction, the key 25 is shifted to the right to engage the free end 30 of spring l2l. Said'spring is expanded as before to clutch the member I 1 and to transmit torque from shaft -ll through gears I4 and It to shaft-l0. When the key 25 is moved in the opposite direction to engage the free end SI of the spring I22, said spring is similarly actuated and the shaft then is driven through gear l5 and the direction of its rotation is reversed.

The reversing clutch construction just described provides a simple and eillcientv mechanism for thepurpose. It may be housed in a relatively small space and has few working parts subject to frictional wear. The details may be varied from the preferred forms shown herein of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

' 1. In a reversing clutch construction, a shaft; a pair of members freely journaled on said shaft and mechanically connected to rotate in opposite directions, a clutch pocket element secured to said shaft between said members and having its outer ends formed as clutch pockets with internal clutch surfaces, a pair of helical clutch springs each having one end anchored to one of said members and having a free end extending into one of said clutch pockets, an actuator key-slidably mounted in said clutch. pocket element and movable in one direction toengage one of said springs and in the opposite direction to engage the other of said springs for expanding the same into clutching engagement with said clutch surfaces, a clutch collar slidably mounted on the outer surface of said clutch pocket member and a connection between said clutch collar and said actuator key for moving said key to engage said springs.

2. In a reversing clutch construction, a pair of coaxially rotatable members mechanically connected to rotate in opposite directions, a central clutch member interposed between said members and coaxially rotatable therewith, said central member having clutch surfaces formed on the opposite ends thereof concentric with the axis of rotation, a pair of helical clutch springs each having a clutch surface adapted to mate with one of said first mentioned clutch surfaces and each having its outer end anchored to one of said pair of rotatable members, an actuator constrained to rotate with said central clutch member but movable axially in one direction to actuate one of said clutch springs into clutching engagement with said central member and in the opposite direction to similarly actuate the other of said clutch springs, a clutch collar slidably mounted on the outer surface of'said central clutch member and a connection between said clutch collar and said actuator for moving said actuator to engage said clutch springs.

, 4 3. In a reversing clutch construction. a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a pair of rotatable members freely journaledon said driven shaft, gear connections between said drive shaft and said rotatable members adapted to rotate said members in opposite direct ions, a clutch member secured to said driven shaft and interposed between said pair of rotatable members, said clutch member having spring pockets formed on its opposite ends, a pair of similarly wound helical clutch springs ,each anchored to one of said pairs of rotatable members, and each normally rotating freely in one of said pockets, an actuator key slidably mounted on'said clutch member, and means for sliding said key in one direction to engage the free-endof one of said rotating clutch springs to expandthe same into clutching engagement with the inner face of its associated spring pocket and for sliding said key in the opposite direction similarly to engage and expand the other of said springs.

4. In a reversing clutch construction, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, 9, pair of rotatable members freely journaled on said drive shaft, gear connections between said driven shaft and said rotatable members by means of which said driven shaft is rotated in one direction by rotation of one of said members and in the opposite direction by similar rotation of the other of said members. a clutch member secured to said drive shaft and interposed between said pair of rotatable members, said clutch member having spring pockets formed on its opposite ends, a pair of oppositely wound helical clutch springs each anchored to one of said pairsof rotatable members and each normally extending freely into one of said spring pockets, an actuator key constrained to rotate with said clutch member but movable axially thereof, and a clutch collar slidably mounted on the exterior surface of said clutch member and connected to. said key for moving said key in one direction to engage the free end of one of said springs to expand the same into clutching engagement with the inner face of its associated spring pocket and in the opposite direction similarly to engage and expand the'other of said springs.-

a 5. In a reversing clutch construction, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a pair of rotatable members freely journaled on said driven shaft, gear connections between said driv shaft and said' rotatable members adapted to rotate said members in opposite directions, a clutch member interposed between said rotatable members and adapted when rotated to rotate said driven shaft, said clutch member having clutch surfaces formed thereon concentric with said driven shaft, a pair of similarly wound helical clutch springs each anchored to one of saidrotatable members andeach having a clutch surface adapted to mate with one of said first mentioned clutch surfaces but normally spaced therefrom, an actuator slidably mounted for axial movement on said clutch member, and means for moving said acuator in one direction to actuate one of said springs into clutching engagement with its associated clutch surface and in the opposite direction similarly to actuate the other of said springs.

6. In a reversing clutch construction, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a pair of rotatable members freely journaled on said-drive shaft, gear connections between said driven shaft and said rotatable members by means of which said driven shaft is rotated in one direction by rotation'of one'of said members and in the opposite direction by similar rotation of the, other of said members, a clutch member rotated by said drive shaft and interposed between said rotatable members, said clutch member having clutch surfaces formed thereon concentric with said drive shaft,xa pair of oppositely wound helical clutch springs each anchored to one of said rotatable-members-and each having a clutch surface adapted to mate with one of asid first mentioned clutch surfaces but normally spaced therefrom, an actuator siid- 1o I 6 ably mounted for axial movement on said clutch member but constrained to rotate therewith, and

a clutch collar slidably mounted on the exterior surface of said clutch member and connected to said actuator for moving said actuator in one direction to actuate one of said springs into clutching engagement with its associated clutch surface and in the opposite direction similarly to actuate the other of said springs.

' WILLIAM CARLETON STARKEY. v 

